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Stadium Facts

Sat, May 15, 2010, 01:00

HISTORY:Lansdowne Road stadium first opened for athletics in 1872 and when it closed it was the oldest sports stadium in Europe. Work started on the Aviva stadium in May 2007 and the venue was officially opened yesterday. The project architects were Populous (formerly HOK Sports Architecture)/Scott Tallon Walker, while the main contractor was John Sisk Sons.

€410m

Total cost (inclusive of €191 million of government funding).

4

Stands – the south, east and west stands have four tiers. The bottom and top tiers provide the main volume of spectating facilities, the second tier is for premium ticket holders, and the third tier houses corporate boxes. The North stand comprises one low-level seating tier because it is close to nearby houses.

63,802 sq m

The area occupied by the stadium.

47.65m

Highest point above the pitch.

189.9m

Length, north to south.

203m

Width, east to west, excluding podium and grand stairs.

6,000

People employed over a three-year period.

4,000,000

Work hours during construction.

5,000 tonnes

Of structural steel used.

€40m

Cost of the naming rights which were awarded to Aviva on February 12th, 2009.

50,000

Seating capacity. All seating is under a roof, but the roof does not extend over the pitch. There are 36 corporate boxes, with seating for 850 people. Premium seats total 10,000.